Physiotherapy Board Media Release – 5 May, 2018

The Physiotherapy Board has today launched the first ever comprehensive set of standards for the profession in New Zealand.

The 14 Physiotherapy Standards, which are designed to guide practitioners and protect public safety, cover areas including sexual boundaries, advertising, treatment of friends and whānau, and informed consent.

Physiotherapy Board Chair Janice Mueller, says the Standards are a critical part of ensuring the public can have confidence in the profession. “We have seen a significant increase in complaints over recent years which, while small relative to the number of practitioners, has demonstrated there is a need for a comprehensive and clear set of standards.

“We have developed these standards in consultation with the profession and other health regulators and we are confident they represent a strong set of minimum standards that will help guide physiotherapists in their practice and provide the public with concrete expectations of quality of care.

“Their release represents the latest step in a five year project to modernise the professional and practice framework for physiotherapy. This has also included revising and updating the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, which we have done jointly with Physiotherapy New Zealand, and developing Bi-National practice thresholds with our Australian counterpart.

“It it vital to the future and credibility of the profession that we provide the public with safe and trustworthy care. The Standards we have released today will help do just that.”

ENDS

For more information please contact Rob Egan on 022 092 5457

A full copy of the new Standards, the revised Code of Ethics, and the Thresholds is available here